Boys Golf Player of the Year

Cory Whitsett, senior, Memorial

Cory Whitsett's name is synonymous with golf in Houston. The recent Memorial graduate won four Class 5A Region III titles and two 5A state tournaments. He’s also had big moments in national junior events. As Whitsett prepares to head to Alabama, he looks back on his four years at Memorial.

Q: What is your best memory of high school golf over the last four years?

A: Being able to win two state titles in high school is really memorable. I really enjoyed the tournaments and the competition, so I think those were the best moments.

Q: A lot of young golfers look up to you, but when you started, who did you look up to?

A: You know, I didn’t really have one guy that I really watched. I liked Fred Couples a lot, so I’d say he has had an influence. But I just enjoy the game, so I didn’t have one person I always followed.

Q: What’s your favorite club to use?

A: I would have to say my putter. There is a greater chance of making a shot with your putter.

Q: You are headed to Alabama for college next year. What will you miss the most about Houston?

A: I will miss Lakeside (the golf course Whitsett plays regularly). The access is great. I can just head over after school and play as many holes as I want to. But after college, I plan to be back in Houston and live here. I will be away for a while, kind of like a four-year vacation away from home.

Q: You have always been close with your team. Was that special to have them at state with you this year?

A: It was great, especially since the expectations for our team weren’t high. I’d say that was a really good way to end my high school career.

— Interview by Jenny Dial

Girls Golf Player of the Year

Portland Rosen, senior, Clements

Recent Clements graduate Portland Rosen won her third straight Class 5A Region III title this year and finished fourth at the weather-shortened state tournament. Rosen, who will attend Virginia, is a two-time Chronicle Girls Golfer of the Year.

Q: What is your best high school golf memory?

A: Winning state in 2009 and my team winning third that year. The whole trip was so much fun, and I just have a lot of great memories of it.

A: I really liked Tiger Woods, of course, when I started watching a lot. Also, growing up my dad always talked about Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, so I always admired Arnie and Jack. Annika Sorenstam was also one of my heroes, and I actually got to meet her, which was amazing.

Q: What will you miss most about Houston?

A: I will really miss all my Houston girls. I have made a lot of friends in the sport, and I will miss playing with them. Also, the club I play at (Shadowhawk) is great, and I play with a lot of 50-plus-year-old men, and they have taught me so much and made the game fun.

Q: What advice do you have for young women starting out in the sport?

A: Try to have fun with it. It is challenging and takes a lot of work, but if you just enjoy it, there is nothing better than when you win that first event and see everything pay off.

Q: How much does your cheerful attitude help your game?

A: It helps so much. I think that’s why I have never burned out on golf, and I think I will still be playing when I am 50 or 60.

— Interview by Jenny Dial

Boys Tennis Player of the Year

Daniel Brown, senior, Montgomery

Senior Daniel Brown traveled to Austin with nine of his teammates for this year’s Class 4A state tennis tournament. With his teammates and fans of the Bears watching at Lakeway World of Tennis, he won the boys singles state title with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 win over Rockwall Heath’s Brady Bohrnstedt. Brown, the Chronicle’s All-Greater Houston Boys Tennis Player of the Year, talked about Montgomery tennis and playing his final high school season with his friends.

Q: Montgomery had a lot of players at state this year. Was that more fun than the last three years at the state tournament?

A: I liked that we represented our school so well at state this year. It makes it more fun. You aren’t just competing for yourself; you are competing for Montgomery. I really enjoyed it.

Q: Since you are a singles player, how did you focus on the team rather than making tennis just an individual sport?

A: It is easy to get excited. No one else at state had as many (players) competing as we did. Even though tennis is an individual sport, it is a great way to support your school.

Q: There is a lot of talent at state. What was it like to win it all?

A: That’s why you play the game, to get to play really good competition, and at state you get to see the best high school players in the state. There is a lot of talent when you get to that point.

Q: A lot of tennis players don’t play in high school. Are you glad you did?

A: Yes. I have had a lot of fun playing with my teammates and friends. We have had a lot of fun and I have become a better tennis player, so I am happy I played in high school.

— Interview by Jenny Dial

Girls Tennis Players of the Year

Melissa Burckhartt & Allison Burckhartt, Klein Oak

Sisters Melissa and Allison Burckhartt have been playing together for only a couple years, but this season was filled with highlights. In the past two years, Allison, a senior, and Melissa, a sophomore, had never defeated defending state champs Ariel Morton and Micah Hermsdorff of Klein. But they did so this year in the biggest match of their careers — the Class 5A girls doubles state championship.

Q: So what was it like to win state?

Allison: When we were getting ready for that match, it was more about beating Klein. We have played them nine or 10 times and always lost. It was a personal goal.

Melissa: It was a big relief to finally beat them. We get all the way to state, and we were playing two girls from our district that we know and are really competitive with. I think it said a lot about tennis in the Klein area.

Q: What is it like to play alongside your sister?

Allison: It's good. We actually fight a lot, so I think this has made us closer.

Melissa: We are really different in a lot of ways, but we both love tennis and we are really competitive. It has been a lot of fun.

Q: What are the benefits of playing with your sister?

Allison: I think we read each other really well. We don't have to talk much on the court.

Melissa: Yeah, I think our communication is really good. We probably communicate better than a lot of teams.

Q: Allison heads to Oklahoma State next year. What will it be like playing without her?

Melissa: I think I am going to switch to singles for my last two years of high school. It has been great sharing these last two seasons with her.

— Interview by Jenny Dial

Boys track athlete of the Year

DeAndrew White, senior, North Shore

One would be hard-pressed to find a more intense competitor than DeAndrew White. His drive to succeed has been seen on both the football field and the track. That trait helped him become the heart and soul of North Shore’s Class 5A state track championship team as he medaled in four events (the 200-meter dash, the long jump and two relays) to lead the Mustangs.

Q: After competing in four events, how tiring a day was it?

A: It was a long day and a competitive day. I wasn’t focused on myself, just on the championship, which we got. I just wish we could have gotten first in the relays, and I wish I could have won the 200 and defended my championship. Overall, I’m still happy, though.

Q: You appear to be one of the most competitive high school athletes around. How have you developed that?

A: I’m glad I have it because without it, I’d just be a regular average Joe. I’m just happy that I have it and that I can take it to the next level with me.

Q: As a team, many of you talked about being motivated to get the state title after falling short of one in football. How much did that drive the team?

A: Most of us, we run track to get faster for football and everything we do is for football. Since we couldn’t get it done there, we had to use it as motivation to get it in track.

Girls Track ATHLETE of the Year

Christy Udoh, senior, Westbury

Track may largely be an individual sport, but Westbury made it all about the team in 2010. In an effort to claim its first state championship since 2000, the Rebels concentrated their efforts on the relays and limited the number of individual events for their athletes. Christy Udoh was one of only two team members to compete in a non-relay event at the Class 4A state meet, but the Texas-bound sprinter was golden, anchoring the Rebels’ winning 400-meter relay and 1,600 relay in addition to winning the 200.

Q: How determined were you as a team to win state after finishing third last season?

A: We were very determined to win state. The last time Westbury won a state championship was in 2000. We weren’t messing around with (the) Dallas (area teams). We took it all the way, and we’re back.

Q: What was the biggest key to achieving that goal?

A: Our coaches told us, ‘Everybody has talent. But you have to have heart to win it.’ You could be the most talented person, but if you have heart and talent, the sky is the limit.

Q: The team title came down to the 1,600 relay, and you were the last leg. You took the baton with the lead. How confident were you that you’d be able to finish first?

A: I was very confident. I just told myself to put us out there to the point that if I break down and get tired, we’re still in it.